Cato & Peeta, The Last Day of Forever
by Leonar3d16
Summary: Cold. Starvation. Death. These are just a few of the things to worry about when plunged into the heart of the Hunger Games. Peeta Mellark knows this, and his only hope for now is to find protection- The Careers. He knows he has to gain their trust, but to what limits will he reach to do so? (Cato x Peeta)
1. Chapter 1, The Realisation

Peeta & Cato Fanfic!

"Come on lover boy, We're not going to slow down for you", grumbled Cato. Glimmer and Marvel quickened their pace, for fear of being deemed too slow for Cato's standards. They both knew that one mistake in front of him would be costly. It had been a few hours since the bloodbath at the cornucopia had occured, and the Careers were trekking down a rather steep and downward slope. There was nine of us at the start; three had died at the cornucopia.

"Maybe we should ditch him if he's just going to drag us down", said Glimmer in a snarky tone, with a fitting glare to match her voice. "Oh we can't do that!", Said Marvel in an over-dramatic voice. "Then we wouldn't be able to find.." He took a pause, trying to contain his laughter. "Her!..". Glimmer and Marvel busted out in laughter, both sounding like rabid hyenas.

Peeta rolled his eyes playfully at the both of them as though he thought that they were actually funny, even though he just wanted to strangle both of them senseless. But In reality, they were right. He is the one who knows her best. If it was up to any one of the other Careers, he would simply be another corpse at the Cornucopia. But Cato said that he was an "important asset", and whatever Cato says goes. Peeta had no legitimate reason to be mad at him really. After keeping him alive and letting him under his wing of protection, he knew he should be grateful. But the reason he did all of this.. Was Indeed to find "her". He didn't understand why she was such a priority target in his book. There were many other tributes who posed a bigger threat...

The countless trees they passed began to grow thicker and vibrant greens grew darker, meaning a safer place to build a shelter. "Let's stop here for the night", announced Cato. Everyone stopped in their tracks and practically collasped. No point in keeping up the façade of energy. After a minute, the Careers began setting up the camp, appearing half awake. There were three tents, each fitting two people; Marvel and Glimmer shared one, leaving Cato, two other careers, and Peeta.

"In you go lover boy", said Cato impassively, entering the tent to the left of Glimmer and Marvels, leaving the other two Careers-whose mames Peeta can't remember- in the tent on the right. It seems that even Cato has his own share of exhaustion.  
Peeta stood there for a second, unsure what to do. Marvel smirked at him as he awkwardly stumbled in, as though somebody had said a joke that he didn't quite hear.

Peeta zipped up the tent behind himself as he entered. He turned to face the inside and realised how cramped it would be in here with both him and Cato sleeping inside the tent. He then noticed that Cato had seemed to already divide up sleeping room... By falling asleep in the dead center of the space.

"Of all the rotten luck...", he muttered to himself, glad that Cato couldn't hear him. He silently maneuvered around him to a cramped corner and layed down. The ground below the two of them was cold and squishy. It felt awkward laying here next to Cato, as though he was trying to fall asleep next to a stranger. But Cato was no stranger. Peeta could recognize his short blonde hair and formidable presence from a mile away.

Cato layed facing him, creating an awkward atmosphere. Peeta faced away from him and pretended that he was alone In the tent, and that Cato wasn't now breathing down his neck. Peeta froze, even though the stream of hot air suggested otherwise. He wasn't sure what to do. Cato would be pissed as hell if he woke him up on purpose unless it was an emergency..

While Peeta was deep in thought, he hadn't noticed how Cato had gotten even closer-if that was even possible. Before he could react, he was in Cato's arms in an instant. He sat completely still in shock. His heart was in his throat, and Peeta was sure the whole camp could hear it. The heat radiating from Cato's massive form was overwhelmimg. He risked a glance behind him at Cato, and visibly relaxed when he saw that Cato appeared to still be asleep, as he was muttering something quite rude about Glimmer. It brought a smile to Peetas face.

But another worry arose in Peeta's mind. What if he crushes me? Cato was beyond capable of injuring Peeta, and being unaware of his actions, Cato would crush Peeta like a twig. Peeta began to panic, when he heard a sentence that stopped his mind dead in its tracks. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you".  
It was said with a slightly exasperated tone, as though nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Peeta jerked his head around in a instant, looking up cautiously at Cato's stare. It was too dark to read his facial expression, but he could see a slight glint in his eyes. I must be dreaming, thought peeta as he pinched himself so hard he almost yelped out in pain. Cato gave a deep throaty chuckle and tightened his hold around Peeta, bringing him right up against Cato's broad chest.

Peeta sighed, and felt something _strange_. Something that he had not felt in a long time. Something he knew deep down that even Katniss would never be able to recreate. He felt safe.. He soundlessly fell asleep in Cato's warm embrace, finding peace in the steady rise and fall of Cato's breathing. He knew for certain he wouldn't be having nightmares tonight.


	2. Chapter 2, The Doubt

**Disclaimer**: if you haven't yet probably guessed it, I do not own the Hunger Games books (Pfft I wish, then Peeto could become a reality 3). I have some freetime this weekend so chapter 3 should be coming out soon. The storyline of the book has been changed slightly, and by slightly I mean a lot; just to do something different :3. Enjoy!

Peeta opened his eyes, peering up at the dull grey fold in the roof of the tent. It must have still been quite early in the morning, for all he could hear outside was the soft reverberating chirping of several birds, with the the rushing of a stream in the distance. The two combined peaceful sounds created a calm atmosphere. He loved days like this back in district 12.

Despite the cold wet ground, Peeta slept throughout the entire night soundlessly. The only things reminding him of where he was were the two arms wrapped around him, bringing him warmth in this unforgiving arena.

_ Cato._. The boy who saved his life. _Cato,_ the boy who made Peeta feel for once safe. He knew that he could never repay everything that this Career had done for him. Perhaps this is what Katniss had felt for him.. Peeta's thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he felt an uncomfortable pressure from Cato. Peeta blushed; it seemed that someone was pitching a tent of their own. His suspicion of Cato being awake vanished when he heard a light snore escape his lips.

Not wanting to disturb him, Peeta carefully slipped out of his arms. Well, carefully is an understatement. He practically had to wrench himself from Cato's snoozing form. Peeta stifled a smile as he exited the tent, glad that he could get a little bit of time to sort things out.

Apparently, even in the early hours of the morning there was still someone there to annoy Peeta. Casually leaning against a large oak tree was Glimmer, whittling away at a thick branch with one of her throwing knives. She seemed to be making some type of flute.

"Good morning Peeta", said Glimmer nonchalantly. Peeta raised an eyebrow at the girl who had just addressed him correctly. "Who are you and what have you done with Glimmer?", replied Peeta with a half questioning smirk on his face. Glimmer rolled her eyes and let out a peal of laughter, spreading echoes through the forest. "Keeping up an image is important, especially when Cato is involved", she said. "You don't seem to get it do you?". Her eyes narrowed when he didn't respond. She let out a sigh and shook her head, as though Peeta was missing something completely obvious.

"In the arena, betrayal and loss is unavoidable.", continued Glimmer, her happy tone of voice now gone. "You may think Cato wouldn't do any of the such to you, but we both know what he is really after". The chirping of the birds had stopped, and all Peeta could hear was the stream. Peeta considered playing dumb, but he instantly crushed that idea. He wasn't going to let Glimmer stomp out these recent events involving Cato. "You're wrong", said Peeta with growing anger. She had to be, he thought.

"Well, just think about it this way", said Glimmer suggestively. "The two district 12 tributes won over the crowd with their _dazzling_ impressions, stealing the spotlight from everybody else.". Glimmer began pacing around Peeta, speaking with an overly-sincere tone. "And that is bound to create enemies..". She moved inches away from him. "He wants you gone. Traumatized into oblivion, then slaughtered". Her expression was grave and serious. Peeta's eyes widened, but his expression stayed solemn. He shook his head a little, but that just made Glimmer laugh again. Fear welled up inside of Peeta. "Alrighty then", she said. "Just don't say that I didn't warn you.."

"Warn him about what?", said a voice behind him. Startled, Peeta spun around and saw Cato standing back a few feet, his hair standing up in strange areas. He must have just woken up. Peeta instinctively took a small step back. Even when waking up, he was incredibly handsome. His eyes were trained on Glimmer, a hostile look on his face. She suddenly perked up and smiled a little. "Oh, just a few reminders about the arena", she stated. "Talk to you later_** lover boy**_", she said as she skipped off into the forest. I hope something scary finds her, he silently thought to himself.

He took a deep breath and risked a glance at Cato. He looked terrifying, waves of malevolence radiating off of him. He glared over at Peeta. "What did she tell you?", he demanded. His voice was frightening and authorative. He was watching Peeta's movements, as though prepared for him to run. It wasn't until then that Peeta realised he was shaking. He cleared his throat.

Before he could get any words out, Cato began to approach him, slow but steady. As though Cato was an angel from hell, sent to destroy him. Peeta panicked and backed up into a tree. Cato picked up his pace, his eyes seeing right through him. Peeta closed his eyes and waited for his death, hoping that it would be a swift one.

Cato's lips crashed up against Peetas with fierce intentions, pressing him up against the tree, rendering him still. He would have frozen solid even if there was nothing behind him. He couldn't believe what was happening. He didn't think, he just acted on impulse; he kissed Cato back. The heat was a stark contrast against the cold morning mist. There was no logic based off of it. He just knew that he needed him now, like they were the only two people left im this arena; In this entire _world._

He opened his eyes to find that Cato was staring right back at him, passion and wonder in his eyes. Cato hungrily traced Peeta's jawline with his lips, causing him to shiver. The tension all around them felt like it was about to snap. They stood still in eachothers arms as one, wishing that this moment would last forever. But all good things must come to an end, and Peeta knew this. "Pack up camp, we have a long way to go", Said Cato, abruptly pulling away. Neither of them wanted to, but they knew staying in the same place is beyond dangerous.

Nobody had ever made him feel so vulnerable yet safe at the same time..

Lemme know what you guys thought about it :D. The third and final chapter should be out in the following day! If I get enough feedback, I might make another hunger games fanfic once I'm done with this one :3


	3. Chapter 3, The Alive

*Que dramatic music*  
Hey guys! This is the 3rd and final chapter of "The Last Day of Forever"! Being my first fanfic ever attempting, please feel free to give any feedback c:. As said earlier, if this gets enough positive feedback I'll make another hunger games fanfic :D enjoy!

Peeta Mellark was often the last person to ever be labeled as conflicted. Sure, it happened once in a while, but never had it happened to him in a way like this. Is this what love is supposed to feel like? Does Cato really intend to harm him in the end? He certainly hoped it wasn't true, and that Glimmer in reality was just some crazy psychopath. he silently thought to himself, barely paying attention to the bickering from the rest of the group.

Marvel and the other two tributes-Clove and Falric- were having a heated argument, with Cato leading and Glimmer defending the back (which seemed like a terrible idea to Peeta). They were bickering about the fact that since two people can now be victors, Clove and Falric were threatening to break off from the group to be the victors, while Marvel said he wanted to win with Glimmer, claiming that the two of them were already great friends. In the back of his mind, Peeta knew that Glimmer would slit Marvels throat in an instant if she had to. She looked like the backstabber type.

_"He wants you gone. Traumatized into oblivion, then slaughtered"_. The thought repeated itself over and over, searing the image of Cato standing over his corpse in Peetas mind. But then, there was the way that Cato held him close that night, and brought joy to this miserable life in the arena.

Peeta was torn out of his auto-pilot mode when he heard a scream from behind. The bickering ceased instantly. He whipped around, eyes roving through the trees in front of him, ready for combat, when he heard the scream again. This time it was further away. He managed to recognize the sound. He didn't even stop to think about why that person was screaming, or even think about why Glimmer had gone missing. He could hear his heart pounding louder than ever as the wind wooshed past him.

He was the first to show up in the clearing; A great expanse of vibrant green grass before him. But that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was what was going on in _the center._ Katniss was pinned under Glimmer against the ground, screaming as loud as she could and struggling to get an upper hand, but it was useless; Glimmer was much stronger.

Glimmer let out a terrifying shriek of laughter at her, pulling out a thin serrated dagger from her pocket. "It's such a shame that someone so pretty must have such horrible things done to them", said Glimmer with obvious loathing. She took the dagger and traced patterns centimeters above Katniss' now tear-streaked face. She lifted up the dagger and was about to start cutting, but that's as far as she got.

Peeta slammed into Glimmer as hard as he could from the side, knocking her off of Katniss. She let out an anguished cry as she hit the ground.** Hard**. It took a second for the two girls to realise what just happened. "Peeta!", They both shouted in unison, each with an opposite way of saying it.

"You're mine now lover boy!", snarled Glimmer as she hopped back to her feet instantly. She was shaking with rage. She then suddenly turned to Katniss and hissed, causing her to scramble to her feet and speed off into the underbrush. _At least Katniss got away alive_, Peeta thought grimly.

She then turned her attention back to him and quickly scanned the ground around her for the dagger. The dagger that could kill Peeta Instantly. It was nowhere to be seen. Katniss had taken it. Peeta would have sighed out of relief if he wasn't still in danger. Without warning, Glimmer let out a ear piercing cry of rage and charged at him.

Peeta was prepared for an impact, but he was still knocked to the ground with ease, dazing him. In an instant, she was on him, her fists colliding into him over and over with brute force. He couldn't move .He was probably was going to go unconscious before he bled to death. All he could register was immeasurable pain.

Glimmer roared with joyous rage as life was slowly leaving Peeta. Suddenly, he heard a shout in the distance, and Glimmer froze, her mouth slightly agape. Her eyes were focused on where the yell came from. Peeta was in too much pain to think, much less move. Suddenly, two hands abruptly pulled her off of him, and out of Peeta's field of vision. Had someone come by to kill them? To end his misery? He could hear screaming and fighting as his vision began to darken. His hearing was to dull to distinguish whose screams it was. As Peeta drifted off into unconsciousness, he could hear the sound of a cannon blast and an echo of a strange voice. "He wants you gone"...

Peeta opened his eyes. Light poured out onto his face, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut. He could hear a stream of water cascading beside him. He couldn't see where he was, and it annoyed him. He tried to sit up, but a hand on his shoulder gently presses him back down.

He then noticed the pain. Peeta tensed up with the excruciating needle-like stings that coursed through his upper body. "What's going on?", said Peeta through gritted teeth. He was beginning to get fustrated with the absence of explanations. Just as he was about to curse out in confusion, a pair of lips met his, silencing him. He recognized who it was instantly and relaxed, letting Cato explore him. He opened his eyes to see him hovering over him like a protective blanket, eyes trained on eachother. He seemed to have had a long thin cut down his right cheek. Peeta reached up to place his palm upon it, but Cato calmly moved his hand away. He was very careful not to put any pressure on Peeta's injuries, which he appreciated. After a minute, he forced himself to pull away.

The two sat there in silence, staring at eachother until Peeta finally spoke. "You killed her", he cautiously remarked. Cato slowly nodded, his expression serious. Peeta imagined how Cato must have reacted when he had seen him in the field; bloody, still, and gasping for air. "But why?", replied Peeta. "She had every right to kill Katniss, and I intentionally took the opportunity away from her".

Cato shifted over to sit next to Peeta, looking out at the sunset. It was a beautiful sight really, especially now that Cato was in view. He seemed to fit in with the yellow and golden tones streaked across the sky. He pondered the question and then looked straight at Peeta. "Some people say that when you love something, you should let it free. If they come back to you, then that means something..", he trailed off. "And if they don't?", asked Peeta uneasily. Cato's eyes tightened. "Then it simply wasn't meant to be", he replied, looking back to the fading sunlight.

Peeta's eyes widened. "You thought... that I would have chosen _her_ over you?", Peeta asked incredulously. "I wanted to be sure that you wouldn't do anything you'd end up regretting", said Cato, sadness filling his expression. "Cato", said Peeta calmly. "I knew that from the moment I saw you that we would be more than friends, and I knew that you had filled a gap that Katniss would never fill when you kissed me that morning". Peeta went back to that memory in his head... The passion in Cato's eyes, the burning hot sensation of his skin. The mix between fear, lust, and confusion that he felt. He had known then that deep down, they had something special.

Cato's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, a small warm smile upon his face. "Do you really feel that way Peeta"?, he asked. Peeta answered with no hesitation. "Of course, Cato. You have some amazing qualities that I have never seen in anyone else.", Peeta paused, unsure if he dare continue, but from the look on Cato's face, it was a good time to say it. "You make me feel safe in ways that I couldn't ever imagine, and I can't even begin to imagine a world without you in it.

Cato's eyes showed the slightest hints of a tear, but he didn't cry. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around Peeta, and heaved him up carefully so he was laying on top of him. "We're going to win this", said Cato with a determination that Peeta had never heard before from him. He knew they had a good chance of winning together, and he hoped that they would so strongly.

They sat there for a short while, when Cato broke the silence. "Come, we have much to prepare for.

Throughout the night in the tree they slept in, Cato caught Peeta up on what the other tributes were doing (when they weren't exploring eachothers physicality). Apparently, when Cato had left the group to follow Peeta, Falric and Clove had tried to kill Marvel, viewing it as a good distraction- they had been planning it all along, and were waiting for the right moment. Marvel managed to kill Falric, and escaped the scene alive. Katniss seemed to have been evading everyone this entire time.

Peeta pondered the time that he had spent with Cato, and knew that this could be the last night that they'll ever have together. It filled him with an unnerving sense of despair, and he held on to Cato throughout the entire night; holding back as many tears as he could. All the while, Cato was comforting Peeta as best as he could; Reassuring that they would win, and talked about all the wonderful things they would do once out of this terrible place.

Morning broke through on the horizon, draping warm beams of light through the forest. Light enveloped Peeta and Cato, gently waking the both of them.

Peeta opened his eyes to see Cato staring back into his eyes. They both couldn't deny the attraction they had to eachother, but there was something else in their expression; The dark shadow hovering over the perfect day. They had two options. Die in the arena, or survive. Neither of them knew what to expect.

The two of them headed towards the lake near the cornucopia. They would be able to see anyone coming from a mile away in all directions. It was oddly quiet to Peeta. Neither of them had spoken since they had woken up; they didn't need to speak to communicate how they felt.

It all felt so surreal to Peeta, as though he might wake up on his bed in district 12 any second. But he knew Cato was real. Nothing in the would could ever change that. Suddenly, the familliar sound of a cannon went off. Cato and Peeta froze, watching the sky intently. A picture of Marvel was projected above them, along with playing the Capitol's anthem, and then faded.

Cato's eyes widened. "Come. We need to move faster", he said sternly, urgently guiding Peeta through the forest. "Cato, what's going on", Peeta quickly asked. Cato stopped and looked at him. Peeta saw something in Cato's eyes that he had never seen before. Fear. It worried Peeta gravely. It was all so strange before Peeta put it all together.

"Falric didn't killed Marvel, did he?". Peeta already knew the answer before Cato shook his head. Peeta sucked in a choked breath. "Then what did", asked Peeta, his voice a little shaky. Before Cato could respond, a scream rose up a distance from behind them. It reminded him of Glimmer and Katniss in the clearing. The scream came from Falric. Another scream from him started, but was then cut off halfway through.

"RUN", commanded Cato, his expression fierce. Peeta didn't have to be told twice. It hurt a little before to move because of his injuries, but that didn't matter. All he felt was pure fear and adrenaline as another cannon sounded. The two of them bolted through to the edge of the forest, and finally ended up at the lake. A picture of Falric flashed briefly upon the sky, but Peeta couldn't hear the music. All he could hear was his pounding heart beat, fluttering like a humming bird. His eyes scanning back into the forest; and they waited.

Peeta had never felt like such a mess before. Tears were streaming down their face. Their death could approach them any second, and there would be nothing they could do about it; they were at the mercy of the game masters.

Peeta suddenly saw someone running at them from the forest. The figure leaped over rocks gracefully, and didnt slow down when she got to the outskirts. Cato was right; they could see from quite far away. Katniss seemed out of breath and collapsed. And thats when they arrived with her.

Peeta didn't know where they came from, but he knew in an instant that they didnt exist in nature. They were each the size of a horse, with bulky rounded features, and were blood red. There were several, but he didn't count. He had to look away as they caught up to Katniss. Cato grimaced, but didn't turn away. Rabid snarling broke out and overrode every other sound, including Peeta's choked sobs. The sound then stopped as quickly as it had started.

Silence

Peeta looked back, his mouth agape im horror. Katniss was gone, with all remaining was a small stain on the ground. The monsters were staring at him and Peeta, and they stared back. Suddenly, Cato slipped his hand around Peetas soundlessly, his face betraying no expression. He simply stared at the behemoths in front of him. Peeta couldn't hold back any longer, and tears began to stream down his face.

The sound of a man clearing his throat from the arena speakers jolted the two of them out of their trance. "A new rule has once again been implemented!", he happily said as though discussing weather. "Only one tribute may be crowned victor." The announcement ended, but the two of them were motionless.

Peeta let out another choked sob as the monsters focused their gaze on Peeta, hunger in their eyes. Cato noticed this in an instant. "NO", roared Cato, as he defensively embraced Peeta, moving between him and the mutants, their faces inches away from eachother. Peeta just let it happen. He knew this was the end all along. Everything seemed to slow down. He casually noted the things going on around him in his own little world. The fire in Cato's eyes, the warm sensation of the enveloping rays of sun. All fear had left him. He knew deep down that they would still be together somehow. He pondered lightly if there was really a heaven. He imagined him and Cato living in their own special world, free of fear, without a single worry. It was a beautiful life. He knew then, in that moment, that he was ready. He knew they were almost there.

"I love you", said peeta, feeling the eternal truth in his calm remark. Cato didn't verbally respond, but he didn't have to. Peeta didn't care where or how he died. All he cared about was being in a world with Cato.

** The End**

I hope you all enjoyed this series. I am sorry if you didn't like the ending, but it was something I felt that i needed to write; how love is not defined by gender. Please feel free to comment and review. :).


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